The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Weight loss products such as pharmaceuticals, holistic treatments and/or diet plans, for example, are a multi-billion dollar a year industry dedicated to assisting consumers in the reduction of unwanted fat and weight gain. The majority of these products function to reduce the feelings of hunger or reduce the absorption of nutrition taken in by the dieter. While these products may be useful for a short time, studies have shown that continued use often results in diminishing returns. To this end, it has long been held that the best way to reduce fat deposits without surgical and/or medical devices is through behavior modification that includes proper diet and exercise. In many cases, however, there is a high rate of recidivism and noncompliance when the dieter reverts to his or her former eating and lifestyle patterns. As such, long term success is only moderately successful, and short term weight loss is typically followed by weight gain.
As a result of the above, many dieters turn to surgical methods, such as liposuction, for example, in order to achieve a noticeable result in a shorter period of time. Although surgical methods can more quickly obtain measurable results, in terms of fat removal, the act of removing adipocytes (i.e., fat cells) from a localized subcutaneous body portion often results in dysmorphic lipid (i.e., fat) accumulation if the dieter gains weight in the future. Additionally, surgery is a painful invasive procedure which exposes the patient to health risks such as trauma and infection. Moreover, even when performed properly, surgical procedures such as liposuction can cause damage to the surrounding tissue, nerves and skin.
Several less invasive medical approaches include the utilization of radio frequencies, ultrasound and/or cryogenics to kill localized fat cells which can then be metabolized by the body. Although less invasive, by removing or killing the fat cells, each of these approaches also results in future dysmorphic fat accumulation and often causes damage to surrounding tissues. Additionally, as the final results of these methods may take up to four months to see, they do not satisfy the need for a more immediate result.
More recent approaches have centered on the use of laser radiation to affect the fat cells of the human body. In her study “Changes in absorbance of monolayer of living cells induced by laser radiation at 633, 670 and 820 nm” reported in Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics. 2001; 7 (6): 982-988, Dr. Karu's results obtained evidence that cytochrome coxidase becomes more oxidized (which means that the oxidative metabolism is increased) due to irradiation at all wavelengths used. The results of that experiment supports the suggestion (Karu, Lasers Life Sci., 2:53, 1988) that the mechanism of low-power laser therapy at the cellular level is based on the electronic excitation of chromophores in cytochrome c oxidase which modulates a redox status of the molecule and enhances its functional activity.
To this end, several devices and methods have been described in the art and include U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0197884 to Bornstein, which discloses a fat reduction approach. U.S. Pat. No. 7,993,382 to Shanks et al. discloses a fat reduction method using external laser radiation and niacin. U.S. Pat. No. 7,351,252 to Altshuler et al. discloses a method and apparatus for photothermal treatment of tissue at depth. This method may cause heat damage to the epidermis. U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,162 to Friedman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,790 to Weiss; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,063 to Fellner each disclose methods that allow the fat cell to be destroyed, but will require significant recovery time.
Background FIG. 1 illustrates one example of the distribution output pattern of a conventional laser device used to reduce fat. As shown, the laser output pattern comprises an elongated beam 2 having a fixed width W that is typically between 2 and four inches. The beam is directed onto the skin 1 of a patient 5 at a location where fat is present. This beam 2 is then rotated, see arrow a, about a central axis 3 for a predetermined period of time. When utilized in this manner, the area of skin being treated 1 does not receive uniform coverage of the laser, as the central axis 3 remains generally fixed, while the remainder of the beam 2 covers a constantly moving area. Additionally, owing to the small size of the beam, multiple lasers must be used to treat larger target areas such as the stomach, thighs, and buttocks, for example. Such a procedure further exposes the patient to less than desirable results, as one of the lasers may be more or less powerful than another, thereby causing uneven results. Because all of the energy of the laser is focused on a very small area at any point in time, the power of the laser must be very low to avoid permanently damaging the cells, resulting in a far less effective outcome than could otherwise be achieved.
Additionally, the safety of the patient and the device operator are a concern when utilizing laser products. To this end, the conventional laser devices are capable of concentrating a destructive tightly-focused beam of light on the retina (up to 60,000 Watts per cm), which can cause permanent damage to the eye. As will be described below, the present invention simply cannot do that. The potential to damage the retina is 504,515 times greater with conventional lasers than with the device of the presently claimed invention which can concentrate only 0.1 Watts per cm.
Owing to the demanding and exacting power and wavelength requirements described above, experts in the field of lasers and photonics have expressed doubts about the ability to remove lipids from subcutaneous adipocytes utilizing other, less powerful forms of light. Nonetheless, there has been one recent attempt to utilize alternative lighting elements to reduce unwanted fat deposits. Lipo-Light is a commercially available product that is produced by Innovate Photonics Ltd. The product utilizes six paddles each containing 25 LEDs that produce a total of 2.4 watts at full fluency (combined effect from all 6 paddles). The device requires that each of the paddles be strapped directly to the skin of a patient for at least 20 minutes, and purports to achieve “slimming and toning” results.
However, by requiring each of the paddles be placed directly against the skin, the medical practitioner is not able to directly view the interaction of the device paddles with the skin, and may not be able to quickly or adequately respond to an unanticipated reaction by the patient, such as burning, or an allergic reaction, for example. Moreover, the direct application of the paddles results in a patchwork approach wherein gaps between the paddles are not exposed to the light.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a device capable of reducing the lipid content of adipocytes within the human body that does not suffer from the drawbacks of the devices described above, and is capable of uniformly illuminating the skin over a large area and does not require an unsanitary transfer between patients that are inherent in the conventional paddle systems.